


The Eternal Cycle of Batman

by Michael Sullivan (Madwolf023)



Series: Journey of Two Souls [3]
Category: Doctor Who, Justice League
Genre: Gen, Shout-outs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-14
Updated: 2013-10-14
Packaged: 2017-12-29 08:59:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1003498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madwolf023/pseuds/Michael%20Sullivan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A what if? fic. What if Superman found a way to go back into time and tries to save Bruce's parents? How will that change things? Can he even pull it off? Has the Man of Steel finally found something that he cannot solve with his fists?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Eternal Cycle of Batman

**Author's Note:**

> I generally hate writing in the second person. (The you's get so repititive). However I felt that it is warrented in this situation, and I think I pulled it off.

How do you tell the man whom you respect more than anyone else that his parents will always die? No matter what universe, no matter how many times you go back in the past, they always die.

You remember once, without Bruce's consent of course (though it wouldn't truly surprise you if he knows), when you went into his computer. You had access to it, that he had granted you long ago, and were searching the files on parallel worlds. Some files were blocked, only Bruce could access them, but those weren’t the one’s you were interested in. No, instead it was about a Blue Box. Bruce had marked it as a rumor, but you weren’t so sure. The theme of the Box was almost one hundred percent consistent. A man wandering through time, his eyes haunted by an untouchable past, he who had power to change his face. But it is the machine you were interested in. Alternative realities, going into the past, a way to, just once, do something for Bruce. You investigated it thoroughly; after all you are a reporter. A picture was being formed, as you traveled the world. India, Italy, Spain, China, Australia, America. Every country on Earth had some form of knowledge about the Blue Box. However it was in Britain where you found the most evidence. For some reason (just as you adopted America), the Blue Box adopted Britain. You don’t know why, nor do you care.

To be honest, the idea had first come to you after the Vandal Savage World War II time travel incident. You went to a supposed genius on the subject, who lived in Japan. The man was quite impossible to understand, his muttering of world lines and Steinsgate. But you had to know, was this Bruce’s fate? Would he always have to see the terrible scene that plagued his thoughts? Perhaps in one of these ‘world lines’ Bruce would not have to face such horrors. However, the crazy ‘world line’ man had mentioned that there were three people who could answer his question. One was a woman who only made deals to balance the Universe. But those always came with a price. Another was a man possessing a book, a book so powerful it should have been locked away. No one knows how the man got a hold of the book, but he had it, always under watchful eyes. The last possibility was a Blue Box, the last of its kind. The pilot often changed, but the box never did. The box could answer the question. You weren’t sure if it was true, but it certainly was the best choice.

It took you three years to track the Blue Box down. Three long years before you laid eyes on what could only be described as the most beautiful thing in the universe. A man opened the door, ushering you in. He said no words, though his eyes were much older than his face. It was then that you put the pieces together. There was a singular pilot. Older than almost any other living being, linked together with the last Blue Box in the universe until the end of their days. He asked no question about what you wanted, instead just hit a few switches, pulled a few levers, pressed a button, smacked a computer screen, and performed a handstand on a chair. The box suddenly jerked its movement quite sharp and sudden. After a minute you find yourself in an Alleyway, the man pushing you out of the machine. For the first time you realized that the Box was bigger on the inside.

You have bigger problems to worry about though. You know this street well enough. Crime Alley. The place where Thomas and Martha Wayne were mercilessly gunned down by an unknown mugger. But it’s different from what you remember. A theater positioned to your right where noise comes from. You know that theater well too. Now it is empty, cold, a stark reminder of how Gotham changes. How at one moment life exists, then the next it is wiped out. You finally gaze upwards, not surprised to see it is dark. But something is off on this night; you can sense it in your bones. The theater door opened, and you instinctively hide. Three people exit the theater, a man, woman, and child. Suddenly a man jumps out in front of them. Bang bang. You watch, horrified as Bruce Wayne’s life is changed forever. You understand now. This is the night that Bruce Wayne becomes the Batman.

After five minutes you enter the Police Box again. The man wastes no time pulling levers and pushing buttons, and once more you are off. The same alleyway, the same scenario. But now you try to wrestle him down to the ground. But he manages to shoot you. Normally your skin would deflect the bullet, but it pierces your skin. The travel through time must have used up your reserves of yellow sunlight. You enter the Blue Box, prepared to try again. And try again you do. Fifty seven times. Each time something goes wrong. You can’t save Bruce Wayne’s parents. Sometimes a cat gets in your way. Sometimes you are a split second late. Once you even kill his parents by accident. You don’t know what your interference means for the time lines, but you don’t care. All that matters is you failed. You enter the Blue Box one last time, resigned. The man, for the first time this whole trip speaks.

“You can’t change what happens here. Your universe needs a Batman. Hell, almost every universe does. I haven’t explored them all, but all the one’s I’ve been to with a Bruce Wayne has a Batman.” His accent was British, though it did sound a bit off. As if English wasn’t his first language. “This was a favor I owed a friend. You had to fail each time. You can’t go changing history willy nilly.” He paused for a second. “But you can control the future.” He remarked, before pushing a few more buttons. 

Suddenly you find yourself back where you started. The Blue Box was gone. So was the man. You aren’t sure what to make of his cryptic message. But you do know one thing: Bruce Wayne’s parents will always die. And you can’t do a damn thing about it. Sometimes not even the Man of Steel can truly save everyone. You decide to never tell Bruce what you know (though you suspect that he already has gleaned this information. He is, after all, a brilliant man). It is, after all, the cycle of Bruce Wayne’s life, and what right do you have to interfere? Even if you are Superman.

**Author's Note:**

> This comes directly from the Vandal Savage Episodes where they go back to World War II, and Batman didn't come along. My head cannon theory is that in that Dystopia, only Bruce Wayne survived on Earth. The Amazons would have been crushed (killing Wonder Woman). Superman would not have been sent to Earth, and most likely would have died in space. The Green Lantern (Jon Stewart) would have almost certainly been killed in action. The Flash (Wally West) would not have succeeded in his experiment if all science was controlled by a dictator. Hawkgirl would never have gone to Earth, seeing as Vandal Savage would have almost certainly made sure that any inter-planetary interlopers would have been siezed and killed. This would have applied to J'onn as well. Which leaves the Batman. And I'm trying to think of a single universe in the DC Multiverse that has a Bruce Wayne who did not see his parents shot in an alleyway. It's almost as if it's a set point in the time-space continuum. Which leads to Doctor Who.... and the rest is the story.  
> Lastly, there are three shout-outs to two anime's and a television show (which is not Doctor Who). Anyone who can correctly identify them gets an online cookie.  
> NOTE: This falls under the Journey of Two Souls because it fits the themes of traveling between universes and time travel and such.


End file.
